Students of German language and culture pack Touhill for Einshoch6, explore campus resources

The Nov. 16 event drew over 1,000 local high school students and teachers as well as UMSL’s own German majors to the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center for a rousing mashup of rap and classical music. (Photos by Shirin Kasraeian)

It’s not every day that hundreds of young people studying German converge all at once on the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus. But then it’s not every day that Einshoch6 is in town.

A group photo conveys the energy and huge crowd inside the Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall during the Einshoch6 concert. UMSL students were on hand to greet the high school attendees and tell them about study abroad opportunities – including in Germany – available through the university.

A key resource for German teachers in Missouri and Illinois, the German Culture Center works closely with numerous local German-American organizations as well as the Missouri Association of Teachers of German and UMSL’s Department of Language and Cultural Studies.

ISP staff member Larry Marsh, who also serves as the liaison between German teachers in the region and UMSL’s Advanced Credit Program, helped bring the concert to fruition – and draw the huge crowd.

“Over 1,000 high school students and UMSL German students attended the concert at the Touhill,” Marsh said. “The local German teachers were enthusiastic in their appreciation for this opportunity.”

He noted that many of the people in attendance were able to sing along to Einshoch6’s high-energy songs, which many teachers make use of in their German language classes.

“The band combines percussion, cello, rap vocals, keyboards and guitar for an energizing, unique concert experience auf Deutsch,” Marsh said. “Since 2013, Deutsche Welle has been producing a video diary of the band to help Americans learn German.”

The members of Einshoch6 seemed to enjoy their visit to the Touhill as well.

“We finally arrived back in Munich and are now desperate for some extra sleep,” the group’s manager wrote Marsh last week. “We’ve had five very intense weeks in the States – but the concert in St. Louis will definitely stay among our best memories … lovely hosts, a perfect venue and a great audience!”

UMSL students welcomed the local young people as they arrived for the show and helped to make sure that the university is on their radars as they think about their options for higher education and further language study.

“The concert was a wonderful way to introduce students to the campus,” Marsh said. “Our students of German helped greet the classes, and they all received materials from ISP describing the many opportunities that UMSL offers for studying abroad, including in Germany.”